Add a caption, we can't duck the issues
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
We Can't Duck The Issues
Add a caption, we can't duck the issues
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Moor End Roundabout, Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead Moor End Roundabout.
Love it or loathe it?
This item relates to Hemel FM article.
It's the best way to handle the number of incoming roads that I know of. Traffic moves very slowly most of the time, which is good from a road safety point of view. I imagine that overpasses and underpasses would be very costly to implement. If traffic lights were added to it, I think this would increase driver frustration as
they would perceive that it takes longer to negotiate each junction, so unless there's other alternatives, this is the best solution.
Love it or loathe it?
This item relates to Hemel FM article.
It's the best way to handle the number of incoming roads that I know of. Traffic moves very slowly most of the time, which is good from a road safety point of view. I imagine that overpasses and underpasses would be very costly to implement. If traffic lights were added to it, I think this would increase driver frustration as
they would perceive that it takes longer to negotiate each junction, so unless there's other alternatives, this is the best solution.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Devastated
This week has seen unprecedented activity after Lucie Jones lost her place in the X-factor. I was out, and unable to see the live Sunday show, but caught up with what happened on Monday.
In my opinion, Simon Cowell went to the public vote because:
a) he was curious,
b) he expected the public to have least voted for the Bart Simpson twins,
c) he wanted to be as fair as he could to Louis Walsh who was down to his last act.
I don't accept that Simon is as money orientated or as devious as people try to make out.
But, before the SING-OFF, he did say he'd put the past behind them and judge the 2 acts on their final songs. Lucie was miles better at SINGING than Jedward, and Simon Cowell should have had the courage to have voted off the twins. Simon has lost a lot of credibility this week.
The judges have to recognise that an act can be deeply unpopular, and recognise it by opinion on Internet groups, newspapers, and BOO-ing. Yes. Lots of boo-ing for the twins week after week.
Some argue that if you want an act to stay in, you should vote for them. I don't accept that argument. That would have meant voting for Lucie, Stacey, Olly, Jamie, Danyl, and all the other acts I would rather see on the show rather than the twins. At 35p a time plus VAT that would be a gross exploitation of the public. Too expensive.
As one who has enjoyed all the thrills (and deluded wanna-be's) of this show, from auditions to the live finals, I see no point in continuing to watch X-FACTOR. When judges don't do the decent thing, there will be seen to be nothing fair about encouraging the public to vote for their favourite act, when THE MOST UNPOPULAR ACT can get through.
I even sense that Louis Walsh was uneasy that Lucie had to leave the competition. There is no value in asking a mentor to vote.
If there has to be a SING-OFF, the public should get a further opportunity to vote who stays in the show.
FACEBOOK:
GET-JOHN-AND-EDWARD-OFF-XFACTOR
boycott the x factor
In my opinion, Simon Cowell went to the public vote because:
a) he was curious,
b) he expected the public to have least voted for the Bart Simpson twins,
c) he wanted to be as fair as he could to Louis Walsh who was down to his last act.
I don't accept that Simon is as money orientated or as devious as people try to make out.
But, before the SING-OFF, he did say he'd put the past behind them and judge the 2 acts on their final songs. Lucie was miles better at SINGING than Jedward, and Simon Cowell should have had the courage to have voted off the twins. Simon has lost a lot of credibility this week.
The judges have to recognise that an act can be deeply unpopular, and recognise it by opinion on Internet groups, newspapers, and BOO-ing. Yes. Lots of boo-ing for the twins week after week.
Some argue that if you want an act to stay in, you should vote for them. I don't accept that argument. That would have meant voting for Lucie, Stacey, Olly, Jamie, Danyl, and all the other acts I would rather see on the show rather than the twins. At 35p a time plus VAT that would be a gross exploitation of the public. Too expensive.
As one who has enjoyed all the thrills (and deluded wanna-be's) of this show, from auditions to the live finals, I see no point in continuing to watch X-FACTOR. When judges don't do the decent thing, there will be seen to be nothing fair about encouraging the public to vote for their favourite act, when THE MOST UNPOPULAR ACT can get through.
I even sense that Louis Walsh was uneasy that Lucie had to leave the competition. There is no value in asking a mentor to vote.
If there has to be a SING-OFF, the public should get a further opportunity to vote who stays in the show.
FACEBOOK:
GET-JOHN-AND-EDWARD-OFF-XFACTOR
boycott the x factor
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
JEDWARD were not highest polling as I foolishly reiterated a tabloid claim in the last post. It was just a rumour.But there is so much talk about the duo now that I fear they have become the anti-X Factor vote.
Has it occurred to you yet that all the anti X-Factor votes are concentrated on one act? Whereas all the sensible votes are split across many great acts? And who would want the act that can't sing to win more than any other act? The rival TV companies! With X-Factor disgraced, they can look to boosting their own ratings. The Louis Walsh Aggravation Factor will continue apace right through to the finals.
Look into my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, not around the edges, into my eyes... LUCY JONES....
Has it occurred to you yet that all the anti X-Factor votes are concentrated on one act? Whereas all the sensible votes are split across many great acts? And who would want the act that can't sing to win more than any other act? The rival TV companies! With X-Factor disgraced, they can look to boosting their own ratings. The Louis Walsh Aggravation Factor will continue apace right through to the finals.
Look into my eyes, my eyes, my eyes, not around the edges, into my eyes... LUCY JONES....
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
X-Factor Polling
Apparently the twins John and Edward polled the highest vote at the weekend despite the fact that they are rubbish singers. Some see it as an anti-Simon Cowell vote. Well, naturally I was surprised that Miss Frank group went out. They were good. But I didn't vote. I might have voted if I could vote for an act to leave the contest. Somehow I don't think that idea would get off the ground.
But the voting system is wrong. The acts that leave should be the ones that have polled the lowest number of votes over ALL the weeks they have been on the live programme. It shouldn't be the ones that score the lowest in a particular week.
But the voting system is wrong. The acts that leave should be the ones that have polled the lowest number of votes over ALL the weeks they have been on the live programme. It shouldn't be the ones that score the lowest in a particular week.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Rikki in the Last 2 as predicted!
I was right, I said last week X-factor Rikki was going down.. in a few minutes we find out if its him or Rachel. Rachel where are your fans? Lloyd should have been there not Rachel
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
X-FACTOR Live: Week 1 (Revisited)
Following Saturday night's X Factor contest I took another look at the performances last night.
Skipping through the chat, the intros, the ads and the judges verdicts, brought the 2 hour long show down to three quarters of an hour.
Rachel Adedeji was in the bottom 2 for viewers votes, so why was that? Well, the presentation of her song, Robbie William's "Let Me Entertain You" tended to drown her out. To be heard she was left shouting into the microphone rather than singing into it. She is capable of much more professional output than that, so I would say that was a poor song choice for her, and she can surely get through a few more rounds with better songs to suit her.
The group that exited the programme actually weren't all that bad. They sang well. I think they suffered from the stigmatism of where they came from: pole dancing. Dressed to be provactive on stage cannot alone have been enough to turn people off. After all, who can deny that Madonna and Kylie Minouge have not exploited provocativeness in order to help sell themselves?
Rock star, Jamie Afro Archer, was given a poor song choice. I can see the connection. Marc Bolan had afro hair, Jamie has afro hair. Thought processes of Simon Cowell(?): "He can do the same thing." But that's as far as it goes. Marc was effeminate. Jamie never will be. Jamie looked uncomfortable singing Get It On, UNTIL he moved away from the mike stand, and raunched it out in his own rocker style. Yeah!
Stacey Solomon. I mentioned earlier she might get too irritating to vote for. She's giggly, very Essex, and for gawds sake dear, keep yer trap shut and just open it for the singing! She sang well. Where she falls down is confidence. Please let it grow in her, for she has such a wonderful singing voice. Let her not hide behind her hair. Let her fans see her, let us all hear her, and wow! she's still in my top 2.
Lucie Jones. On first hearing of this week's song I wasn't too sure. Then the judges knocked her a bit. But now I have seen her sing it again, I found maturity in her voice, confidence in her own ability, and yet still, an even more powerhouse of a voice still lurking there waiting for the right song to match that power. Lucie is still my number one.
Miss Frank. This was a brilliant performance, well executed, and in the scale of tonight's performances better than many other acts.
Olly - slow start this week, people chant for him, but he doesn't look like a winner to me.
The Bart Simpson twins - they can't sing, but they're in the competition, somehow! I don't think they'll make a career in being pop stars, but they could do well presenting tv shows. Even so, I'd be one of those who would not watch any show they presented.
Danyl, the teacher. I don't quite get this guy yet. His performance went to the next level. No doubt about that. But is he still trying to prove something to just his school, or is he seriously reaching out to the rest of the country?
Joe is the dark horse with a crisp voice. Best of the boys on tonight's performance. Endearing. Great act.
So who haven't I mentioned yet? Rikki, and Lloyd. Lloyd you lack maturity, your act is still too fragile to make you a true winner among all these others. Rikki, sorry mate, you are going down. Soon I predict.
Skipping through the chat, the intros, the ads and the judges verdicts, brought the 2 hour long show down to three quarters of an hour.
Rachel Adedeji was in the bottom 2 for viewers votes, so why was that? Well, the presentation of her song, Robbie William's "Let Me Entertain You" tended to drown her out. To be heard she was left shouting into the microphone rather than singing into it. She is capable of much more professional output than that, so I would say that was a poor song choice for her, and she can surely get through a few more rounds with better songs to suit her.
The group that exited the programme actually weren't all that bad. They sang well. I think they suffered from the stigmatism of where they came from: pole dancing. Dressed to be provactive on stage cannot alone have been enough to turn people off. After all, who can deny that Madonna and Kylie Minouge have not exploited provocativeness in order to help sell themselves?
Rock star, Jamie Afro Archer, was given a poor song choice. I can see the connection. Marc Bolan had afro hair, Jamie has afro hair. Thought processes of Simon Cowell(?): "He can do the same thing." But that's as far as it goes. Marc was effeminate. Jamie never will be. Jamie looked uncomfortable singing Get It On, UNTIL he moved away from the mike stand, and raunched it out in his own rocker style. Yeah!
Stacey Solomon. I mentioned earlier she might get too irritating to vote for. She's giggly, very Essex, and for gawds sake dear, keep yer trap shut and just open it for the singing! She sang well. Where she falls down is confidence. Please let it grow in her, for she has such a wonderful singing voice. Let her not hide behind her hair. Let her fans see her, let us all hear her, and wow! she's still in my top 2.
Lucie Jones. On first hearing of this week's song I wasn't too sure. Then the judges knocked her a bit. But now I have seen her sing it again, I found maturity in her voice, confidence in her own ability, and yet still, an even more powerhouse of a voice still lurking there waiting for the right song to match that power. Lucie is still my number one.
Miss Frank. This was a brilliant performance, well executed, and in the scale of tonight's performances better than many other acts.
Olly - slow start this week, people chant for him, but he doesn't look like a winner to me.
The Bart Simpson twins - they can't sing, but they're in the competition, somehow! I don't think they'll make a career in being pop stars, but they could do well presenting tv shows. Even so, I'd be one of those who would not watch any show they presented.
Danyl, the teacher. I don't quite get this guy yet. His performance went to the next level. No doubt about that. But is he still trying to prove something to just his school, or is he seriously reaching out to the rest of the country?
Joe is the dark horse with a crisp voice. Best of the boys on tonight's performance. Endearing. Great act.
So who haven't I mentioned yet? Rikki, and Lloyd. Lloyd you lack maturity, your act is still too fragile to make you a true winner among all these others. Rikki, sorry mate, you are going down. Soon I predict.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
CANDY RAIN GO OUT - Good!
I was surprised Rachel Adeje was in the last 2 for the play off to see who left the X factor tonight. Thank goodness she stayed in, and Candy Rain, the former pole dancers have left. I don't think I could have looked at those false lips any longer. Rachel is a beauty, she sings very professionally, but I suspect what happened was that people picked Lucie Jones, Stacey Soloman to get the vote rather than Rachel.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
X Factor - The Final Twelve
Now that the X Factor live show candidates are chosen, I can say that my predictions of last week are right on the money.
"My" three girls, Lucie Jones, Stacey Soloman and Rachel Adedeji, are through. Jamie "Afro" Archer is through, along with Olly and Danyl Johnson (who I have a bit of trouble being convinced by). And the girl group Miss F.R.A.N.K are through. I don't disagree with the boys that were put through by Cheryl, and she did include Lloyd Daniels, but it's the first mentioned two girls, Jamie, and Miss F.R.A.N.K that I tip for the top 4 slots.
The judges gave their decisions in their own imimitable style. Danni Minougue came across as very professional, but surely we could have done without the long pauses where the girls were told they were going through or not. Louis was short and sharp and to the point. King Cowell, sat on his throne giving the contestants his decision while the challengers knelt looking humbly on. Cheryl was a true drama queen, even breaking off half way through giving the opera-singer her decision. The scene reminded me of a poor bull-fighter who suddenly decided not to plunge his sword between the weakened bull's shoulder blades. In the end she delivered her final blow to the hapless contestant, a decision I entirely agreed with in the end, but one that doesn't get my hankie of approval for the manner in which the blow was struck.
It was raining cats and dogs by Lake Como, in Italy, where Louis Walsh's decision was made. Someone up there clearly realised the groups were by and large a wash out! On the down side, the irritating twins are put through, almost as I predicted they would be in my blog of last week. Louis seems to have forgotten that Simon Cowell does not like the Bart Simpson hairstyled twins. Simon won't rest from knocking the twins on the upcoming live shows until they have been finally booted off.
"My" three girls, Lucie Jones, Stacey Soloman and Rachel Adedeji, are through. Jamie "Afro" Archer is through, along with Olly and Danyl Johnson (who I have a bit of trouble being convinced by). And the girl group Miss F.R.A.N.K are through. I don't disagree with the boys that were put through by Cheryl, and she did include Lloyd Daniels, but it's the first mentioned two girls, Jamie, and Miss F.R.A.N.K that I tip for the top 4 slots.
The judges gave their decisions in their own imimitable style. Danni Minougue came across as very professional, but surely we could have done without the long pauses where the girls were told they were going through or not. Louis was short and sharp and to the point. King Cowell, sat on his throne giving the contestants his decision while the challengers knelt looking humbly on. Cheryl was a true drama queen, even breaking off half way through giving the opera-singer her decision. The scene reminded me of a poor bull-fighter who suddenly decided not to plunge his sword between the weakened bull's shoulder blades. In the end she delivered her final blow to the hapless contestant, a decision I entirely agreed with in the end, but one that doesn't get my hankie of approval for the manner in which the blow was struck.
It was raining cats and dogs by Lake Como, in Italy, where Louis Walsh's decision was made. Someone up there clearly realised the groups were by and large a wash out! On the down side, the irritating twins are put through, almost as I predicted they would be in my blog of last week. Louis seems to have forgotten that Simon Cowell does not like the Bart Simpson hairstyled twins. Simon won't rest from knocking the twins on the upcoming live shows until they have been finally booted off.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Send Me to DisneyWorld
Source: www.cineworld.co.uk
Inspired by Disney® Pixar's new film Up, Cineworld are offering you the chance to win an amazing adventure to Disneyland® Resort Paris. All you need to do is collect as many balloons as possible, attach them to your home and if you collect the most balloons you win.
Help Send Me to Disneyworld click here>>>> CLICK NOW!
Inspired by Disney® Pixar's new film Up, Cineworld are offering you the chance to win an amazing adventure to Disneyland® Resort Paris. All you need to do is collect as many balloons as possible, attach them to your home and if you collect the most balloons you win.
Help Send Me to Disneyworld click here>>>> CLICK NOW!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My X-Factor Predictions 2009
So, the X factor judges have made their decisions about which "24" to keep in the competition. If I was a judge I wouldn't bother having a "groups" section next time, because in my opinion, none of the groups we were shown on tv had the elusive "X-factor" about them. That said, the one group that I think will have a chance at winning is the all girl group, who entered as individual solo artists, and came out of boot camp as a group on the recommendation of the judges. That alone is a sure sign that the judges also thought the standard of groups entered was poor. That means that my tip for the group to go the furthest is "Miss F.R.A.N.K". Their boot camp performance was a terrific raunchy blend of harmonies, and if they continue to gel together they should surely go far. The next group I think will go far is the twin boys, John and Edward, with the Bart Simpson hairstyles. I rather think they will appeal to some voters as much as they will turn off others. I fall into the category of voters that already finds them conceited, arrogant, and implausible, and they won't get my vote. In my mind I have already written off the the other four groups.
Moving onto the over 25's, it was Simon Cowell's remark on hearing that he had got the job of mentoring them, "this could be a really good year for me , err I mean for them", that leads me to suspect that there are going to be some clashes with his 6 stars. They're already set in their ways at over 25, and if they don't work with Cowell, he'll be quick to talk them down in the shows. I'm wondering who's hair he is going to find the most irritating? Will it be Afro man Jamie (3,238,807 views so far on YouTube video, Mohican man Daniel, hat-man Olly, short back and sides Danyl (7,385,959 views so far on YouTube video (wow!), bushy haired Nicole, or Afro lady Treyc? Jamie will go far, although as a rock performer, I think it will be cringe time in disco week, and I do wonder how he'll come across doing jazz/swing. So, while he's the best of the bunch for me, I'm not sure he's got staying power. Nicole, poured her heart out at boot camp to get through to the final six, but I think she peaked too soon, and will not appeal to many people. Treyc, I didn't think stood out for me in early performances. Olly, with his gimmicky hat, will get lots of votes in early rounds. Mohican man, I like your sincerity, but I don't think you're good enough to win.
The boys - none really stand out to me as a winner, I barely remember any of them in the auditions. There were better boys who didn't get through including the 17 year old lad who did a Michael Jackson number, he was a real natural star for me, and should have gone through. Judges, what were you thinking? So, instead we've got the hat man Rikki, nothing special about his voice or desire to win, and then there's Lloyd Daniels with the cutie-charismatic-face-in-the-crowd that will catch a large number of votes. Notice I haven't said anything about his singing. The others in the six - did nothing for me.
The girls, - I like some of these, and I rather think the overall winner is going to be in this group. So, my three favourites in this category are Stacey Solomon, Rachel Adedeji, and Lucie Jones.
Stacey is the Dagenham 21 year old girl that will appeal to the tabloids, and ultimately to their readers and these will actually vote. Despite all these hardships(!) she actually has a terrific singing voice. Stacey Soloman's (5,649,500 views so far on YouTube. So people like her, but I think she might drop off towards the end of the season's show run as little things like her large teeth and big pointy nose (sorry, but the public are fickle!) start to irritate viewers. But she could still win. Rachel Adedeji came across as professional, perhaps too professional, but I think she'll go further than the second placed group. Lucie Jones, an 18 year old student, is the girl I'd tip to top this category, and possibly the whole show. As I write, her video on YouTube has had 2,133,142 views, but I rather think that for all the different types of songs they have to do, Lucie could be the one to creep through and get enough votes across the generations. Who knows, it could be Lucie, Stacey, and Afro Jamie as they race towards the final show in December. Or perhaps, for this type of show, cutie Lloyd instead of Jamie?
Moving onto the over 25's, it was Simon Cowell's remark on hearing that he had got the job of mentoring them, "this could be a really good year for me , err I mean for them", that leads me to suspect that there are going to be some clashes with his 6 stars. They're already set in their ways at over 25, and if they don't work with Cowell, he'll be quick to talk them down in the shows. I'm wondering who's hair he is going to find the most irritating? Will it be Afro man Jamie (3,238,807 views so far on YouTube video, Mohican man Daniel, hat-man Olly, short back and sides Danyl (7,385,959 views so far on YouTube video (wow!), bushy haired Nicole, or Afro lady Treyc? Jamie will go far, although as a rock performer, I think it will be cringe time in disco week, and I do wonder how he'll come across doing jazz/swing. So, while he's the best of the bunch for me, I'm not sure he's got staying power. Nicole, poured her heart out at boot camp to get through to the final six, but I think she peaked too soon, and will not appeal to many people. Treyc, I didn't think stood out for me in early performances. Olly, with his gimmicky hat, will get lots of votes in early rounds. Mohican man, I like your sincerity, but I don't think you're good enough to win.
The boys - none really stand out to me as a winner, I barely remember any of them in the auditions. There were better boys who didn't get through including the 17 year old lad who did a Michael Jackson number, he was a real natural star for me, and should have gone through. Judges, what were you thinking? So, instead we've got the hat man Rikki, nothing special about his voice or desire to win, and then there's Lloyd Daniels with the cutie-charismatic-face-in-the-crowd that will catch a large number of votes. Notice I haven't said anything about his singing. The others in the six - did nothing for me.
The girls, - I like some of these, and I rather think the overall winner is going to be in this group. So, my three favourites in this category are Stacey Solomon, Rachel Adedeji, and Lucie Jones.
Stacey is the Dagenham 21 year old girl that will appeal to the tabloids, and ultimately to their readers and these will actually vote. Despite all these hardships(!) she actually has a terrific singing voice. Stacey Soloman's (5,649,500 views so far on YouTube. So people like her, but I think she might drop off towards the end of the season's show run as little things like her large teeth and big pointy nose (sorry, but the public are fickle!) start to irritate viewers. But she could still win. Rachel Adedeji came across as professional, perhaps too professional, but I think she'll go further than the second placed group. Lucie Jones, an 18 year old student, is the girl I'd tip to top this category, and possibly the whole show. As I write, her video on YouTube has had 2,133,142 views, but I rather think that for all the different types of songs they have to do, Lucie could be the one to creep through and get enough votes across the generations. Who knows, it could be Lucie, Stacey, and Afro Jamie as they race towards the final show in December. Or perhaps, for this type of show, cutie Lloyd instead of Jamie?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Britains Got Talent
There's a bunch of strange "singers" appearing on the X Factor lately. There must a lot of tone deaf relatives and friends around encouraging no-hopers to go forward. I tend to agree with Cowell every time. The girl judges are just window dressing, although Dannii Minogue has shown some signs of brains, too. Walsh has absolutely no idea, and comes across as insincere. Whereas in Britain's Got Talent, it's Piers Morgan that constantly cheeses me off with his "every one deserves a chance" attitude.
Like, the time in Britain's Got Talent when this no-hoper appeared on stage with a black bag.
"Ok, what's your act?" asks Simon Cowell.
"It's in the bag", says the man.
"Right, Ok, off you go" replies Cowell.
Man dips his hand in the bag, and places a walnut on his head.
Cowell doesn't look too impressed. He presses his "X".
Pierce Morgan looks VERY impressed, and beams enthusiastically.
Man dips his hand in the bag and fetches out a hammer. He uses the hammer to smash the walnut balanced on his head. Then curtsies theatrically to the audience.
Cowell rolls his eyes to view the ceiling, and shakes his head.
Piers Morgan visibly laughs out loud.
Morgan is the first to speak, "That was a very brave thing to do. Not many people would want to make a living out of doing that. You certainly get my vote."
Cowell is astounded by these comments, and looks contemptuously at Morgan. He asks the man, "What else have you got in your black bag?"
"Aspirin" replies the man.
Like, the time in Britain's Got Talent when this no-hoper appeared on stage with a black bag.
"Ok, what's your act?" asks Simon Cowell.
"It's in the bag", says the man.
"Right, Ok, off you go" replies Cowell.
Man dips his hand in the bag, and places a walnut on his head.
Cowell doesn't look too impressed. He presses his "X".
Pierce Morgan looks VERY impressed, and beams enthusiastically.
Man dips his hand in the bag and fetches out a hammer. He uses the hammer to smash the walnut balanced on his head. Then curtsies theatrically to the audience.
Cowell rolls his eyes to view the ceiling, and shakes his head.
Piers Morgan visibly laughs out loud.
Morgan is the first to speak, "That was a very brave thing to do. Not many people would want to make a living out of doing that. You certainly get my vote."
Cowell is astounded by these comments, and looks contemptuously at Morgan. He asks the man, "What else have you got in your black bag?"
"Aspirin" replies the man.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A Fraction of the Whole
The Australian based novel, A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2008. At 710 pages, it is a mystery around the key character Martin Dean. Who is Eddie who follows him around, and why does he keep his distance from Martin? Why does Martin almost worship his errant Uncle who apparently died in a bush fire while escaping from prison? All is revealed in the end, as the story moves from Australia to France and Thailand, and back to Australia. Great read! Enjoy!
The White Tiger
When I picked up The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga earlier this year, I had no idea what the book was about, other than it won the Man Booker Prize 2008. It turned out to be a compelling read throughout. A rickshaw puller's son goes to the big city, becomes a taxi driver,learns the ways of other drivers, and there is a dark outcome. Along the way we get an insight into the poor and the rich side of India. A must read for anyone wanting to develop an understanding of the seedier side of India.
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
This week I read Salmon Fishing in The Yemen by Paul Torday. The novel combines emails, newspaper reports, diary entries, and interviews to tell the story of why a government scientist is "put up" to see through an impossible project to introduce salmon fishing in the Yemen. The story gets behind the news to inform the reader about how government and diplomacy works, and how the little man is easily walked over by those in the upper echilons.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Adora Svitak
Saw the programme Wednesday night about Worlds Cleverset Kids, especially, Adora Svitak. She's 10 and TEACHES primary school children, sometimes via a weblink from a studio in the familes basement.
She reads up to 3 books a day, writes, and publishes her own books. Here's one of her poems.
Love
I love my Mommy…
She loves me…
When she’s sick, I make her tea.
When she’s sad, I cheer her up,
When we’re hungry, we sup.
I love my Daddy…
He loves me…
When he’s tired, I leave him to read,
When he is weary, I leave him to rest.
When he is playful, his jokes are the best!
I love my Sister,
She sometimes loves me,
When she is joyful, I let her ride on me,
When she is upset, I give her hugs,
When she is curious, I show her bugs.
The website: www.adorasvitak.com
She reads up to 3 books a day, writes, and publishes her own books. Here's one of her poems.
Love
I love my Mommy…
She loves me…
When she’s sick, I make her tea.
When she’s sad, I cheer her up,
When we’re hungry, we sup.
I love my Daddy…
He loves me…
When he’s tired, I leave him to read,
When he is weary, I leave him to rest.
When he is playful, his jokes are the best!
I love my Sister,
She sometimes loves me,
When she is joyful, I let her ride on me,
When she is upset, I give her hugs,
When she is curious, I show her bugs.
The website: www.adorasvitak.com
Friday, January 16, 2009
Result on Gas and Electric
Well, the update is £20 for each. Better than the £30 for electric they wanted to charge me!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Most Annoying Programme on BBC3
I think the most annoying thing about the years most annoying programme "Most Annoying" on BBC3 is that there's all these self appointed media watchers making mindless comments about annoying people. These pontificators live such sad lives watching people in the media. When their subjects make some cash out of it, can't the media watchers realise that it is THEM that are paying for the information? So stop watching the people in the media, stop writing about people in the media, stop making the people in the media popular enough to make other people want to buy information about them, and then they won't actually be in the media! In other words, media watchers, get a life.
It doesnt bother me that Heather Mills McCartney complained that her daughter would have to travel B class, or whatever. It it bothered you, turn the page over. Move on. Don't even buy the rag with the story in it.
It doesn't bother me that Paul Burrell messed and told lies. H did. He made money out of it. Forget it. Move on. What annoyed everyone, was that YOU, Madam commentator and you Mister pontificating pencil scratcher, wrote the crap that bored the arse off most of YOUR readers.
You found it annoying that Madonna's brother wrote a book about her sister. Come off it. Move on. He did it for the wanga. And you promoted it through medium XYX, to help make other people get annoyed not with the man, but with the magazines.
I have to say that I find the most annoying thing about the BBC 3 programme is the irritating twat who is the voice over on this programme. Who the heck are you, Mister Nobody? Your just a sour grape. Go suck a lemon. Don't make this programme ever again. You are just so annoying.
It doesnt bother me that Heather Mills McCartney complained that her daughter would have to travel B class, or whatever. It it bothered you, turn the page over. Move on. Don't even buy the rag with the story in it.
It doesn't bother me that Paul Burrell messed and told lies. H did. He made money out of it. Forget it. Move on. What annoyed everyone, was that YOU, Madam commentator and you Mister pontificating pencil scratcher, wrote the crap that bored the arse off most of YOUR readers.
You found it annoying that Madonna's brother wrote a book about her sister. Come off it. Move on. He did it for the wanga. And you promoted it through medium XYX, to help make other people get annoyed not with the man, but with the magazines.
I have to say that I find the most annoying thing about the BBC 3 programme is the irritating twat who is the voice over on this programme. Who the heck are you, Mister Nobody? Your just a sour grape. Go suck a lemon. Don't make this programme ever again. You are just so annoying.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Barack Obama
Ever since his election it has irritated me no end that the media refer to him as "black". He has mixed parentage, his mother was white. His father black. If it had been the other way round, would it make any difference? African American I can accept. Forget these labels black and white. We live in an increasingly multi racial world. Get used to it.
Electric and Gas Bills
Lot of people complaining about their Gas and Electric bills on BBC Three Counties Radio. I thought I'd recheck the letters I had from Atlantic Electric and Gas. Now, my bills are always quite low compared to most people's. £22 on electric and £18 on gas. One of the key reasosn I changed away from British Gas to Atlantic was that I found their customer service second to none. They provide an 0800 number to ring through the latest reading, and you're always straight through, no hanging around.
In their letter they were suggesting that as I was £73 in credit on the electric, there was no need for my direct debit of £22 a month to change. However, this was based on an estimated reading, so I checked the actual reading. This was lower than the estimate, so I've written by e-mail saying I don't accept their finding. Effectively I'm looking for a lower direct debit.
On the gas side, they were suggesting I should change from £18 a month to £30 a month. Again, this was based on a an estimate that was quite a bit higher than the actual reading. So, I've written asking for the suggested new direct debit to be revised (downward) pointing our that I think I am £25 in credit, never mind their £10 in debt.
In their letter they were suggesting that as I was £73 in credit on the electric, there was no need for my direct debit of £22 a month to change. However, this was based on an estimated reading, so I checked the actual reading. This was lower than the estimate, so I've written by e-mail saying I don't accept their finding. Effectively I'm looking for a lower direct debit.
On the gas side, they were suggesting I should change from £18 a month to £30 a month. Again, this was based on a an estimate that was quite a bit higher than the actual reading. So, I've written asking for the suggested new direct debit to be revised (downward) pointing our that I think I am £25 in credit, never mind their £10 in debt.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hemel Hempstead Magic Roundabout
Magic Roundabout
In this article it is stated "Shortly after the opening the driver of an articulated lorry failed to understand the new junction so tried to drive straight across the middle." This is wrong information. The brakes failed on the lorry as it came down St Albans Hill dual carriageway. The driver went over the "top" of the centre of the main roundabout in an effort to spare lives. A stopping area for failed brakes was subsequently improved on the dual carriageway.
Prior to this design, the roundabout had spiral lanes spinning out from the centre. The idea was that motorists drove into the middle of the roundabout then got into the lane that would spin them off. This did not work because too many just ignored the lane markings.
When the present design was introduced I worked in a building overlooking the roundabout. Very early one Sunday morning there was a head on collision because someone was driving on it like one big giant roundabout and someone else was using it how it was supposed to be used, as a series of minis.
When the present design was first launched there were queues back to Berkhamstead while people figured out how to use it. The chairman of the council, Cllr Gordon Gaddes was asked by his transport department if they should abandon it. Cllr Gaddes told them to stick with it. And they have done ever since. It does handle thousands of traffic movements every day.
Underpasses for some routes through the Moorend Roundabout might be nice, but expensive, since the water table there is very low and would require lots of water to be pumped daily. Overpasses would be nice too, again expensive, and also likely to be ugly. The present roundabout does a grand job. Traffic moves much more fluidly than any set of traffic lights might.
In this article it is stated "Shortly after the opening the driver of an articulated lorry failed to understand the new junction so tried to drive straight across the middle." This is wrong information. The brakes failed on the lorry as it came down St Albans Hill dual carriageway. The driver went over the "top" of the centre of the main roundabout in an effort to spare lives. A stopping area for failed brakes was subsequently improved on the dual carriageway.
Prior to this design, the roundabout had spiral lanes spinning out from the centre. The idea was that motorists drove into the middle of the roundabout then got into the lane that would spin them off. This did not work because too many just ignored the lane markings.
When the present design was introduced I worked in a building overlooking the roundabout. Very early one Sunday morning there was a head on collision because someone was driving on it like one big giant roundabout and someone else was using it how it was supposed to be used, as a series of minis.
When the present design was first launched there were queues back to Berkhamstead while people figured out how to use it. The chairman of the council, Cllr Gordon Gaddes was asked by his transport department if they should abandon it. Cllr Gaddes told them to stick with it. And they have done ever since. It does handle thousands of traffic movements every day.
Underpasses for some routes through the Moorend Roundabout might be nice, but expensive, since the water table there is very low and would require lots of water to be pumped daily. Overpasses would be nice too, again expensive, and also likely to be ugly. The present roundabout does a grand job. Traffic moves much more fluidly than any set of traffic lights might.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Shopping at Lidl's
Lidl (Leedle)
====
The price of shopping for food is currently being debated.
Among the things I regulary buy:
Shower gel at 13p
Coleslaw
Squeezable Tomato sauce - around 50p for 500ml
950g Jar of Olives (without stones) - (Absolute bargain compared to Sainsbury)
Deli-Wraps
Bacon
Eggs
Fizzy drinks
Fruit and veg (not a fantastic range, but reasonable basic range, and often slashed to half price), but watch for stuff in plastic bags that could be on its last legs.
Ready made lasagnes.
Chicken
Pork
Milk - fairly standard price everywhere.
"Gold" tea (Avoid the slightly cheaper "Silver" tea) Gold compares favourably to PG Tips or Yorkshire tea.
Sweets - I build up a home sweet shop, to help the kids save on their pocket money.
Gold instant coffee - around £1.30, for 50 decent cups.
Muesli - Get the foil packs, the cardboard pack is cheaper, but the contents of the foil bags are far superior.
Some people say "they sell foreign brands, and therefore don't trust them".
I say, "Try them. And be surprised. Go regularly, and each time buy something you've never tried before. You'll gradually build up a strong list of favourites "
They charge for plastic bags. Good for the environment. Take my advice. Invest in some of those plastic crates and it gets easier to stack them in the car afterwards.
I do shop around, Tesco and Asda some weeks, but I frequently regret that I am shopping there when I see how much their price is when I know how much cheaper Lidl's price is for a comparable product.
I think Tesco's "buy one get one free" is frequently a con, especially when you only really want to consume one, with Lidl's standard price for a comparable product half that of Tesco's.
For the past 6 years I reckon I've easily saved £5 a week when I have shopped at Lidls.
Yes, Lidl's do take Debit Cards, but not Credit Cards. And they do take cash.
One final point, Farmfoods and Iceland offer good savings on frozen food.
====
The price of shopping for food is currently being debated.
Among the things I regulary buy:
Shower gel at 13p
Coleslaw
Squeezable Tomato sauce - around 50p for 500ml
950g Jar of Olives (without stones) - (Absolute bargain compared to Sainsbury)
Deli-Wraps
Bacon
Eggs
Fizzy drinks
Fruit and veg (not a fantastic range, but reasonable basic range, and often slashed to half price), but watch for stuff in plastic bags that could be on its last legs.
Ready made lasagnes.
Chicken
Pork
Milk - fairly standard price everywhere.
"Gold" tea (Avoid the slightly cheaper "Silver" tea) Gold compares favourably to PG Tips or Yorkshire tea.
Sweets - I build up a home sweet shop, to help the kids save on their pocket money.
Gold instant coffee - around £1.30, for 50 decent cups.
Muesli - Get the foil packs, the cardboard pack is cheaper, but the contents of the foil bags are far superior.
Some people say "they sell foreign brands, and therefore don't trust them".
I say, "Try them. And be surprised. Go regularly, and each time buy something you've never tried before. You'll gradually build up a strong list of favourites "
They charge for plastic bags. Good for the environment. Take my advice. Invest in some of those plastic crates and it gets easier to stack them in the car afterwards.
I do shop around, Tesco and Asda some weeks, but I frequently regret that I am shopping there when I see how much their price is when I know how much cheaper Lidl's price is for a comparable product.
I think Tesco's "buy one get one free" is frequently a con, especially when you only really want to consume one, with Lidl's standard price for a comparable product half that of Tesco's.
For the past 6 years I reckon I've easily saved £5 a week when I have shopped at Lidls.
Yes, Lidl's do take Debit Cards, but not Credit Cards. And they do take cash.
One final point, Farmfoods and Iceland offer good savings on frozen food.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Shaved Head for New Homes
A couple of guys doing a very worthy stunt to raise cash for new homes in Guatemala. Donate now. More .... Donate here.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Saturday, March 01, 2008
China
Webshots andibandi has been one of my favourite photographers for a long time. Just watched his show on China. Some awesome stuff here Andbandi on China.
Friday, February 22, 2008
How To Choose A Band Name, Album Title, And Cover Picture
1 - Go to
random wiki
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to Random quotations:
random quote
The last four words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album (you'll need to refresh the page).
3 - Go to flickr and click on "explore the last seven days"
flikr
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
Put it all together, that's your first album.
---
Mine:
Band: Plantinga
Title of Album: Treated With Great Caution
Image Location of Album Cover: image location
random wiki
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to Random quotations:
random quote
The last four words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album (you'll need to refresh the page).
3 - Go to flickr and click on "explore the last seven days"
flikr
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
Put it all together, that's your first album.
---
Mine:
Band: Plantinga
Title of Album: Treated With Great Caution
Image Location of Album Cover: image location
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Little S***t
From the Dunstable Gazette comes this Frank Batt ode:
They changed the name of Shitlington
In Queen Victoria's day
To guard her sensitivities
If she rode by that way.
But changing terminology
Creates a name of mystery
And the altered etymology
Just mucks up all the history.
For the Anglo-Saxon origin
Was changed to 'Shillington'
Which kept the 'ling' diminutive
And the homestead word of 'ton'.
But now they should
bring back the name
To the one that truly fits
For the place that we
all know and love
As the home of little S**t.
They changed the name of Shitlington
In Queen Victoria's day
To guard her sensitivities
If she rode by that way.
But changing terminology
Creates a name of mystery
And the altered etymology
Just mucks up all the history.
For the Anglo-Saxon origin
Was changed to 'Shillington'
Which kept the 'ling' diminutive
And the homestead word of 'ton'.
But now they should
bring back the name
To the one that truly fits
For the place that we
all know and love
As the home of little S**t.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
I knew a girl that was so stupid...
Doing the rounds is this Spam email: I thought it was quite funny, anyway...
I knew a girl that was so stupid that....... She called me to get my phone number.
She spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice box because it said 'concentrate.'
She put lipstick on her forehead because She wanted to make up her mind.
She tried to put M&M's in alphabetical order.
She sent me a fax with a stamp on it.
She tried to drown a fish.
She thought a quarterback was a refund.
She got locked in a grocery store and starved to death.
She tripped over a cordless phone.
She took a ruler to bed to see how long she slept.
She asked for a price check at the Dollar Store.
She studied for a blood test.
She thought Meow Mix was a CD for cats.
When she heard that 90% of all crimes occur around the home, she moved.
When she missed the 44 bus, she took the 22 bus twice instead.
When she took you to the airport and saw a sign that said 'Airport Left' she turned around and went home
I knew a girl that was so stupid that....... She called me to get my phone number.
She spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice box because it said 'concentrate.'
She put lipstick on her forehead because She wanted to make up her mind.
She tried to put M&M's in alphabetical order.
She sent me a fax with a stamp on it.
She tried to drown a fish.
She thought a quarterback was a refund.
She got locked in a grocery store and starved to death.
She tripped over a cordless phone.
She took a ruler to bed to see how long she slept.
She asked for a price check at the Dollar Store.
She studied for a blood test.
She thought Meow Mix was a CD for cats.
When she heard that 90% of all crimes occur around the home, she moved.
When she missed the 44 bus, she took the 22 bus twice instead.
When she took you to the airport and saw a sign that said 'Airport Left' she turned around and went home
TECHNO HIGHS
ON THE UPSIDE
While installing stuff on my new PC, I discovered PicLens - an Add-On for Firefox. Love it. This has the WOW factor. Takes browsing images on sites like Google Image Search, and Flikr, to 3 dimensions. I feel bowled over by it. And whoever else I show it to is equally amazed. PicLens for Firefox.
While installing stuff on my new PC, I discovered PicLens - an Add-On for Firefox. Love it. This has the WOW factor. Takes browsing images on sites like Google Image Search, and Flikr, to 3 dimensions. I feel bowled over by it. And whoever else I show it to is equally amazed. PicLens for Firefox.
Techno Blues
ON THE DOWNSIDE
Finally got my new PC to understand how to collect my emails (It was my fault- In Outlook Express I'd put in the SpamPal port to go through, but I never thought to actually download and install SpamPal). Still struggling to figure out why the Windows ME machine won't go on-line, even though its recognising the router via Wi-Fi. Daughter got her XP PC to connect Wi-Fi last night via the router, but today it doesn't want to know. I feel very frustrated. You're kind of reading bits of "HELP" that lead you down blind alleys. When I finally get it sorted it will be more down to extremely good luck than following any specific instruction. I suppose that's what will count in the end: i.e., figuring our which specific instruction is the right one.
Finally got my new PC to understand how to collect my emails (It was my fault- In Outlook Express I'd put in the SpamPal port to go through, but I never thought to actually download and install SpamPal). Still struggling to figure out why the Windows ME machine won't go on-line, even though its recognising the router via Wi-Fi. Daughter got her XP PC to connect Wi-Fi last night via the router, but today it doesn't want to know. I feel very frustrated. You're kind of reading bits of "HELP" that lead you down blind alleys. When I finally get it sorted it will be more down to extremely good luck than following any specific instruction. I suppose that's what will count in the end: i.e., figuring our which specific instruction is the right one.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pubs and Drinking
Today I am invited to go to a monthly "pint and politics" meeting. I won't attend this P&P as I very rarely go to a pub. Much prefer a bottle at home; its a darn sight cheaper.
Drinking and driving used to be ok 30 years ago, but we're all a bit more restrained these days.
When I lived in Hemel Hempstead, until 6 years ago, I had 8 pubs within 10 minutes walking distance. And in Luton, between 6 and 1 year ago, probably the same, or more. I'm afraid a walk to Dunstable and back would be out of the question, particularly at this time of year.
Hope they all have a nice time. I suppose I should get taxi...
Drinking and driving used to be ok 30 years ago, but we're all a bit more restrained these days.
When I lived in Hemel Hempstead, until 6 years ago, I had 8 pubs within 10 minutes walking distance. And in Luton, between 6 and 1 year ago, probably the same, or more. I'm afraid a walk to Dunstable and back would be out of the question, particularly at this time of year.
Hope they all have a nice time. I suppose I should get taxi...
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Another Year Over And What Have We Done?
December 2007. Another year over and what have we done?
Robert and Melissa have been on Runescape.com* a lot. I’ve been elected to the local Council, and recently the company I work for thought I was worth a bit more than the derisory sum I was previously being paid, so things are starting to look up.
It’s just a year since I moved to my new home in Bedfordshire, so I’ve had all the usual hassle of moving in and getting a house sorted out. Double glazing was completed in the house soon after moving in and I’ve had cavity wall insulation added. When I look back to when I moved in it felt so cold. The electric and gas meters were on cards, and I had a lot of problems getting cards that worked for me. It was such a relief when the meters were changed to pay monthly.
At the beginning of the year I rejoined the Liberal Democrats, and made a website for them – http://votelibdem.com . Following on from that, I became a candidate for the local town council elections in May, and was elected. In fact the Lib Dems won all 14 seats on our town Council, as well as all 5 of the District Council elections that were held in this town on the same day. This has meant that I’ve gained access to other local people quite quickly, learnt a fair amount about my new locality, and I don’t feel like too much of an outsider.
I joined the local Bowling Green club, but never got into it. In fact the second time I went bowling, I ended up with a trapped nerve in my buttock for a week!
The town council organised its annual Carnival on the village green in the summer. I told everyone how it was going to be a grand affair with processions, and lots of activity. In the end the procession turned out to be a couple of floats and a – I’d better watch my words here – small number of walking groups. In other words, not all that I thought it was going to be. I took a picture of my daughter with a clown on the village green, and that ended up later in one of the Town Council’s newsletters. In September the village green was also the centre for a Medieval Day, complete with Pig Roast, Jousting, bows and arrows, and a mad monk. The mad monk asked the kids if I’d done anything naughty. “He made us eat our veg” was the naughtiest thing they could come up with, (is my life really that dull?) so I think the mad monk must have been on my side on that one, so I didn’t get any punishment severe enough for me to remember.
During the summer I took the children on days out to Woburn Safari Park and Abbey, Milton Keynes’ Gullivers Eco Land, Heddingham castle, Tring Natural History museum, and Hampton Court.
I would have liked to have got away a bit further during the year but I had a dizziness attack at the start of the year, that took ages to shake off. Menierés syndrome was the label given to it. I had some days when I was very sick. Even now I am on medication. We’re hoping to go to Turkey at Easter 2008, so that’s something to look forward to.
*Runescape (or Run! Escape! as I call it, which winds the kids up completely, as its rune scape to them). This interactive web-site does end up teaching the children, in a way, like what materials do you need to put together to make a sword? As I write my daughter is making virtual jewellery, and has to mine the gold, smelt it in a furnace, add jewels, and eventually she will sell them (virtually) and increase her “bank balance”. My son tells me they're “making” virtual Christmas presents for each other, online. Whatever next?
Life through the kitchen window is very entertaining on account of the fact that we looks out onto an old orchard where 3 squirrels are always scampering around.
Hampton Court 2007
Robert and Melissa have been on Runescape.com* a lot. I’ve been elected to the local Council, and recently the company I work for thought I was worth a bit more than the derisory sum I was previously being paid, so things are starting to look up.
It’s just a year since I moved to my new home in Bedfordshire, so I’ve had all the usual hassle of moving in and getting a house sorted out. Double glazing was completed in the house soon after moving in and I’ve had cavity wall insulation added. When I look back to when I moved in it felt so cold. The electric and gas meters were on cards, and I had a lot of problems getting cards that worked for me. It was such a relief when the meters were changed to pay monthly.
At the beginning of the year I rejoined the Liberal Democrats, and made a website for them – http://votelibdem.com . Following on from that, I became a candidate for the local town council elections in May, and was elected. In fact the Lib Dems won all 14 seats on our town Council, as well as all 5 of the District Council elections that were held in this town on the same day. This has meant that I’ve gained access to other local people quite quickly, learnt a fair amount about my new locality, and I don’t feel like too much of an outsider.
I joined the local Bowling Green club, but never got into it. In fact the second time I went bowling, I ended up with a trapped nerve in my buttock for a week!
The town council organised its annual Carnival on the village green in the summer. I told everyone how it was going to be a grand affair with processions, and lots of activity. In the end the procession turned out to be a couple of floats and a – I’d better watch my words here – small number of walking groups. In other words, not all that I thought it was going to be. I took a picture of my daughter with a clown on the village green, and that ended up later in one of the Town Council’s newsletters. In September the village green was also the centre for a Medieval Day, complete with Pig Roast, Jousting, bows and arrows, and a mad monk. The mad monk asked the kids if I’d done anything naughty. “He made us eat our veg” was the naughtiest thing they could come up with, (is my life really that dull?) so I think the mad monk must have been on my side on that one, so I didn’t get any punishment severe enough for me to remember.
During the summer I took the children on days out to Woburn Safari Park and Abbey, Milton Keynes’ Gullivers Eco Land, Heddingham castle, Tring Natural History museum, and Hampton Court.
I would have liked to have got away a bit further during the year but I had a dizziness attack at the start of the year, that took ages to shake off. Menierés syndrome was the label given to it. I had some days when I was very sick. Even now I am on medication. We’re hoping to go to Turkey at Easter 2008, so that’s something to look forward to.
*Runescape (or Run! Escape! as I call it, which winds the kids up completely, as its rune scape to them). This interactive web-site does end up teaching the children, in a way, like what materials do you need to put together to make a sword? As I write my daughter is making virtual jewellery, and has to mine the gold, smelt it in a furnace, add jewels, and eventually she will sell them (virtually) and increase her “bank balance”. My son tells me they're “making” virtual Christmas presents for each other, online. Whatever next?
Life through the kitchen window is very entertaining on account of the fact that we looks out onto an old orchard where 3 squirrels are always scampering around.
Hampton Court 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
What's in a Domain Address?
The web sites are limping along.
I've had problems, and now barely get a cent out of it.
I never put the content on a professional hosting, fearing that it would be a waste of money.
TimeshareUK.com was always hosted at freeserve, and when someone entered http://TimeshareUK.com , they were actually redirected via my domain server account to: http://timeshare.freeserve.co.uk
BUT, Freeserve handed over their control to Wannabee, a French run outfit, and last year Wannabee handed it all onto Orange, the mobile telephone company.
Meanwhile, my personal webspace was also the location for ResortSeller.com - http://homepage.NTLworld.com/junkmailbin/index.html so, last year I moved TimeshareUK.com to my personal webspace at http://homepage.NTLworld.com/junkmailbin/timeshareuk/
The next complication was the house move last December, and an additional complication of NTL taking over Virgin Media, and running their organisation as Virgin Media. Due to a monumental cock-up at "NTL" in the change-over they deleted all my webspace at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/junkmailbin and set me up with another web address as http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter !!! Grr !!!
When I found out I calmly went ballistic. I'd spent ages getting up the Google ratings with the previous domain address (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/junkmailbin), and now I was wiped off the face of the earth.
I spent 4 hours reloading all the information back to the new URL, and several days after that figuring out what was missing, and getting associated "client" and advertising agencies realigned to the new URL.
A link to ResortSeller.com was always somewhere in the top 3 in Google for "timeshare sales jobs" . Try any search you like now to do with timeshare, and you'd be hard pressed to find a URL including the stem of my webpages (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/) . In fact "timeshare sales jobs" is currently giving the "defunct" URL http://timeshare.freeserve.co.uk stem my highest rating mid-way down page 6 (and who bothers delving that far down?).
And there's been other developments. Other competitive URLs on the scene.
The latest "TimeshareUK.com" is now hosted at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/timeshareuk/
The latest "ResortSeller.com" is now hosted at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/resortseller_com.html
So where do I go from here?
Beats me.
I've had problems, and now barely get a cent out of it.
I never put the content on a professional hosting, fearing that it would be a waste of money.
TimeshareUK.com was always hosted at freeserve, and when someone entered http://TimeshareUK.com , they were actually redirected via my domain server account to: http://timeshare.freeserve.co.uk
BUT, Freeserve handed over their control to Wannabee, a French run outfit, and last year Wannabee handed it all onto Orange, the mobile telephone company.
Meanwhile, my personal webspace was also the location for ResortSeller.com - http://homepage.NTLworld.com/junkmailbin/index.html so, last year I moved TimeshareUK.com to my personal webspace at http://homepage.NTLworld.com/junkmailbin/timeshareuk/
The next complication was the house move last December, and an additional complication of NTL taking over Virgin Media, and running their organisation as Virgin Media. Due to a monumental cock-up at "NTL" in the change-over they deleted all my webspace at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/junkmailbin and set me up with another web address as http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter !!! Grr !!!
When I found out I calmly went ballistic. I'd spent ages getting up the Google ratings with the previous domain address (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/junkmailbin), and now I was wiped off the face of the earth.
I spent 4 hours reloading all the information back to the new URL, and several days after that figuring out what was missing, and getting associated "client" and advertising agencies realigned to the new URL.
A link to ResortSeller.com was always somewhere in the top 3 in Google for "timeshare sales jobs" . Try any search you like now to do with timeshare, and you'd be hard pressed to find a URL including the stem of my webpages (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/) . In fact "timeshare sales jobs" is currently giving the "defunct" URL http://timeshare.freeserve.co.uk stem my highest rating mid-way down page 6 (and who bothers delving that far down?).
And there's been other developments. Other competitive URLs on the scene.
The latest "TimeshareUK.com" is now hosted at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/timeshareuk/
The latest "ResortSeller.com" is now hosted at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alanwinter/resortseller_com.html
So where do I go from here?
Beats me.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Learco Chindamo
From what I know (off the news) Learco Chindamo has an Italian passport, has no contact with any family members in Italy, and has become a thoroughly reformed character. That said, I am afraid I have no sympathy for Frances Lawrence, the UK wife of the man that Learco Chindamo murdered, who is now in despair that the man is not being deported back to Italy. Her attitude is one of "Little Englander". We are all human, and so far as I know, are unique in the universe. The man's crime was against humanity, (to take another's life). It strikes me that he's done his time, he has reformed, and deporting to another planet is impossible. The system set him free. Deporting him from the UK shouldn't even have been a consideration. Frances Lawrence Story.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Moved Out
Back again. I moved on December 4th. Found a house and managed to exchange within 5 weeks. Not bad going. The house was empty, All I had to do was move in. Nice surroundings.
Yesterday I had double glazing fitted upstairs, so the whole place is done now. Read thread at moneysavingexpert.com for information about reducing double glazing quotations.
Yesterday I had double glazing fitted upstairs, so the whole place is done now. Read thread at moneysavingexpert.com for information about reducing double glazing quotations.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Ready To Go Nowhere
The seller pulled out of the sale, according to information my solicitor obtained. And yet the estate agent thought he was ready to exchange! Now the sellers phone is just on answerphone only.
Code for Alan's image links:
Code for Alan's image links:
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
House Moving
At the end of July I put the flat up for sale. 3 days later I had a buyer. Within another week I had found the place I wanted to buy.
I'm still waiting to move.
The place I'm buying is holding everything up.
I had hoped to exchange contracts at the beginning of October.
Last week I was told we would exchange contracts a week ago, and complete on the 27th.
Today, we're still waiting to exchange.
Last week the hold up was the house at the top of the chain, being slow to send some paperwork to the solicitors of the person I'm buying from. This week its the person I'm buying from who has got a redemption statement from finance people he's dealing with, who have put the wrong date on that statement. I was told it could be another week before they get the paperwork with the right date on it.
Completion on the 27th? Yeah, right. I sit surrounded by cardboard boxes in my flat, waiting to see if I'll be out before Christmas.
I'm still waiting to move.
The place I'm buying is holding everything up.
I had hoped to exchange contracts at the beginning of October.
Last week I was told we would exchange contracts a week ago, and complete on the 27th.
Today, we're still waiting to exchange.
Last week the hold up was the house at the top of the chain, being slow to send some paperwork to the solicitors of the person I'm buying from. This week its the person I'm buying from who has got a redemption statement from finance people he's dealing with, who have put the wrong date on that statement. I was told it could be another week before they get the paperwork with the right date on it.
Completion on the 27th? Yeah, right. I sit surrounded by cardboard boxes in my flat, waiting to see if I'll be out before Christmas.
Monday, June 05, 2006
The Times & The Sunday Times, Malta
That'll be OPC jobs moving off the streets into booths. Good. No one likes being hassled on the streets especially when they are on holiday. The days of the timeshare hard sell in Malta may be on the slide.
Read more at www.timesofmalta.com/co...
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
The Luton International Carnival 2006
My slideshow of the Luton Carnival 2006
Luton Carnival 2006 shows a mixture of fun, brilliance, and chilled out people putting on a show in spite of two torrential downpours during the actual parade.
The British Transport Police apparently took 90 weapons including pepper spray, kitchen knifes, stanley knives, from some 7,000 people who were scanned at Luton's railway station. So, how many were hidden away by those 93,000 other people who did not travle by train? Worrying.
Luton Carnival 2006 shows a mixture of fun, brilliance, and chilled out people putting on a show in spite of two torrential downpours during the actual parade.
The British Transport Police apparently took 90 weapons including pepper spray, kitchen knifes, stanley knives, from some 7,000 people who were scanned at Luton's railway station. So, how many were hidden away by those 93,000 other people who did not travle by train? Worrying.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Speed limits gone mad?
On the M1 in Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire a 40mph limit came into force as work began on road widening. This is scheduled for the next 3 years. Driving at 39.9mph (!), my first experience on joining the M1 was to see 3 lanes of traffic behind me, all gradually but surely, catching me up and all destined to overtake me. I put my flashing warning lights on for a few seconds. That did the trick. For a moment or two. They all slowed down, and for a few seconds I actually thought all lanes would not be overtaking me. On the whole, most drivers seem to be resigned to this slower limit, especially now that speed camera notices have gone up.
At work they're going to bring in a 10mph speed limit. For the longest drive around the site, it'll take 5 minutes from the entrance to park up... and road rage behind those who keep to the speed limit. I don't know what the powers that be think they're doing with a ridiculous speed limit like that, and I'll bet the ones that dreamt the limit up drive at least twice that speed on site, themselves.
Speed cameras on one of my regular routes seem to give other drivers the feeling that they can drive at whatever speed they fancy elsewhere. They know where the cameras are, and slow down for them. Then speed up again when they've got through them. One guy accelerated around me doing probably 50 in a 30 limit this week.
The next day, in a 30 limit, another guy tried to go around me. Well, sorry, but I decided to turn right, so signalled and maneuvered. Nearly crashed into me, he did. Tsk tsk, shouldn't be driving so fast. Further down the route he undertook me on a 30mph dual carriageway. As I moved back to the inside lane he moved back to the inside lane to prevent me overtaking him, not that I had any intention of doing so, as he was already in excess of the speed limit.
It's speed limits that can cause road rage. There are times when a slow speed limit is inappropriate, and leads to silliness, and downright bad manners, not to mention plain childishness. And it's not usually the single incident which brings about bad behaviour on the roads, its the culmination of incidents.
Earlier this week, someone flashed me and stuck 2 fingers up when I was driving at 30 out of a small Herts village. I could see their mouth opening and shutting, in my rear view mirror, presumably as they shouted obscenities. I don't make the limits. I just keep to them. Tough if you're the one behind me, I just hope that one day a mobile speed trap will catch you.
At work they're going to bring in a 10mph speed limit. For the longest drive around the site, it'll take 5 minutes from the entrance to park up... and road rage behind those who keep to the speed limit. I don't know what the powers that be think they're doing with a ridiculous speed limit like that, and I'll bet the ones that dreamt the limit up drive at least twice that speed on site, themselves.
Speed cameras on one of my regular routes seem to give other drivers the feeling that they can drive at whatever speed they fancy elsewhere. They know where the cameras are, and slow down for them. Then speed up again when they've got through them. One guy accelerated around me doing probably 50 in a 30 limit this week.
The next day, in a 30 limit, another guy tried to go around me. Well, sorry, but I decided to turn right, so signalled and maneuvered. Nearly crashed into me, he did. Tsk tsk, shouldn't be driving so fast. Further down the route he undertook me on a 30mph dual carriageway. As I moved back to the inside lane he moved back to the inside lane to prevent me overtaking him, not that I had any intention of doing so, as he was already in excess of the speed limit.
It's speed limits that can cause road rage. There are times when a slow speed limit is inappropriate, and leads to silliness, and downright bad manners, not to mention plain childishness. And it's not usually the single incident which brings about bad behaviour on the roads, its the culmination of incidents.
Earlier this week, someone flashed me and stuck 2 fingers up when I was driving at 30 out of a small Herts village. I could see their mouth opening and shutting, in my rear view mirror, presumably as they shouted obscenities. I don't make the limits. I just keep to them. Tough if you're the one behind me, I just hope that one day a mobile speed trap will catch you.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Smoking Ban Scotland
From the 26th March 2006 smoking will no longer be allowed in commercial vehicles being driven in Scotland. This does not include company cars but will include vans and lorries. Yippee!!
Can't wait until this is law in England, too. But the ban has to apply to all kinds of vehicle, at least to the driver. I mean, if its illegal to drive holding a mobile phone to your ear, then what's the difference if people hold a fag up to their mouths.
clearingtheairscotland.com
Can't wait until this is law in England, too. But the ban has to apply to all kinds of vehicle, at least to the driver. I mean, if its illegal to drive holding a mobile phone to your ear, then what's the difference if people hold a fag up to their mouths.
clearingtheairscotland.com
Monday, March 06, 2006
Secondary School Selection - Not!
As the parents of a child looking to gain entry to a secondary school in September 2006, the exercise for us became one of not choosing the school we wanted her to go to, but more one of making sure she didn’t end up going to the “wrong” school.
For the record, school A would have been my first choice for my daughter. School B would have been 2nd choice, and given our financial and religious circumstances, and our daughters academic ability, no other school would really have done.
We used various map web sites to calculate, postcode to postcode, the distance from home to the schools. School A 2.0km away; School B 1.5km; School C 1.9 Km.
Applying the previous rules on entry and looking at the numbers of pupils being accepted under each rule in the past I drew up my analysis.
Admission rules for community and voluntary-controlled co-educational schools. The rules are applied in order.
Rule 1: Children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school. – So maybe 4 out of the available 180 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 176 places left at school A.
Rule 2: Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason for attending the school, and those who are in public care. Forecast: 4 out of 176 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule for School A. Result - 172 places left.
Rule 3: Children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of application. Forecast: 30 out of 172 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 142 places left at school A.
Rule 4: Children of staff permanently employed at the school where the Local Authority has determined, having regard to the wishes of the Governing Body, that this is necessary to reduce recruitment and/or retention difficulties. Forecast: 4 out of 142 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 138 places left at school A.
Rule 5: Children who live in the priority area for the school and who demonstrate an aptitude in the area of the school's specialism (with those demonstrating the greatest aptitude being given priority). This rule applies to 10% of places in those schools determined by the LEA having regard to the wishes of their Governing Bodies. This rule will not be applied to any community or voluntary-controlled school this year. Nobody qualifies. Forecast: 138 places left at school A.
Rule 6: Children who live in the priority area and for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained non-faith co-educational school. Where more children qualify under this rule than there are places available, places will be allocated to those who live nearest to the school.
We don’t qualify under this Rule for School “A” as it is not our nearest school. Forecast: 138 places allocated. Forecast: No places left at school A.
School “B” is the best bet to gain admission under this rule, but even this school may be over-subscribed.
Rule 7: Children who live in the priority area who live nearest to the school. We would qualify for School A under this rule but on past admission rates, there will be no places left. Entry to School “B” may be via this rule, IF it still has places to allocate after applying all the other rules.
Rule 8: Children who live outside the priority area and for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained non-faith co-educational school. Where more children qualify under this rule than there are places available, places will be allocated to those who live nearest the school. School A would not need to allocate any places under this rule as it is already filled up under the rules above.
Rule 9: Children living outside the priority area who live nearest to the school. School A would not need to allocate any places under this rule as it is already filled up under the rules above.
The County Council School Admissions apply these rules in the order they are printed above. If more children qualify under a particular rule than there are places available, they use a tiebreak by applying the next rule to those children.
So, our choice 1 was School B, choice 2 School A, choice 3 was school D (and that would have required a quick conversion to Catholocism if she had got a place there!).
We since learnt that people who might have qualified under rule 5 did not get in to School A .
ConclusionAnyone who thinks they have a real choice is badly deluded.
For the record, school A would have been my first choice for my daughter. School B would have been 2nd choice, and given our financial and religious circumstances, and our daughters academic ability, no other school would really have done.
We used various map web sites to calculate, postcode to postcode, the distance from home to the schools. School A 2.0km away; School B 1.5km; School C 1.9 Km.
Applying the previous rules on entry and looking at the numbers of pupils being accepted under each rule in the past I drew up my analysis.
Admission rules for community and voluntary-controlled co-educational schools. The rules are applied in order.
Rule 1: Children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school. – So maybe 4 out of the available 180 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 176 places left at school A.
Rule 2: Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason for attending the school, and those who are in public care. Forecast: 4 out of 176 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule for School A. Result - 172 places left.
Rule 3: Children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of application. Forecast: 30 out of 172 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 142 places left at school A.
Rule 4: Children of staff permanently employed at the school where the Local Authority has determined, having regard to the wishes of the Governing Body, that this is necessary to reduce recruitment and/or retention difficulties. Forecast: 4 out of 142 places are allocated. We would not qualify under this Rule. Result - 138 places left at school A.
Rule 5: Children who live in the priority area for the school and who demonstrate an aptitude in the area of the school's specialism (with those demonstrating the greatest aptitude being given priority). This rule applies to 10% of places in those schools determined by the LEA having regard to the wishes of their Governing Bodies. This rule will not be applied to any community or voluntary-controlled school this year. Nobody qualifies. Forecast: 138 places left at school A.
Rule 6: Children who live in the priority area and for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained non-faith co-educational school. Where more children qualify under this rule than there are places available, places will be allocated to those who live nearest to the school.
We don’t qualify under this Rule for School “A” as it is not our nearest school. Forecast: 138 places allocated. Forecast: No places left at school A.
School “B” is the best bet to gain admission under this rule, but even this school may be over-subscribed.
Rule 7: Children who live in the priority area who live nearest to the school. We would qualify for School A under this rule but on past admission rates, there will be no places left. Entry to School “B” may be via this rule, IF it still has places to allocate after applying all the other rules.
Rule 8: Children who live outside the priority area and for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained non-faith co-educational school. Where more children qualify under this rule than there are places available, places will be allocated to those who live nearest the school. School A would not need to allocate any places under this rule as it is already filled up under the rules above.
Rule 9: Children living outside the priority area who live nearest to the school. School A would not need to allocate any places under this rule as it is already filled up under the rules above.
The County Council School Admissions apply these rules in the order they are printed above. If more children qualify under a particular rule than there are places available, they use a tiebreak by applying the next rule to those children.
So, our choice 1 was School B, choice 2 School A, choice 3 was school D (and that would have required a quick conversion to Catholocism if she had got a place there!).
We since learnt that people who might have qualified under rule 5 did not get in to School A .
ConclusionAnyone who thinks they have a real choice is badly deluded.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
BBC NEWS | Politics | Campaigners welcome smoking ban
In my teens I helped out at the local scout's bingo night. I had to give it up because my eyes used to stream with all the smoke, not to mention the fact that my clothes always stank afterwards. There were issues in my family about smoking, and I never took it up. I dabbled in my early twenties with cigars - the wanting to feel cool factor played a big part in that - but I soon stopped. I formed an anti-smoking attitude. In 1985 I first noticed and was impressed by the Anti-Smoking campaign that certain persons conducted, particularly by waving placards in the background when politicians were being interviewed on tv during the party conference season. In driving rain, this silent protestor would give up his time to stand solidly behind his placard. I salute you, Sir.The smoking ban will make pubs, clubs and restaurants in England from the summer of 2007 nicer, fresher, and healthier places to be. It will make the UK a great place to visit. GREAT NEWS FOR BAR STAFFNo longer will they have to suffer burning eyes, coughing at customers, having to scrape cigarette ash out of glasses, having to go home with clothes reeking of tobacco.GREAT NEWS FOR EVERYONENo-one need go home with clothes reeking of tobacco after a night in a pub or club. In smoke free homes this has long been a nuisance. WAKE-UP CALL TO PUBLIC PLACESDon't worry about the decreased sales of ciggies over the bar... just think, your customers will be living longer and coming in to spend their money for a longer period. But if you want to keep them coming, clean those beer soaked carpets stinking of stale beer, because if you don't the fag stench will no longer hide it.A CRACK DOWN ON FAG ENDS, PLEASEThe fag ends that get thrown down outside, in the street, out of vehicle windows really cheese me off. It is litter. It is anti-social. It is fineable if you are caught. That's another campaign. The outdoors is my space, too. And I don't want it littered.
Read more at news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
DOG LOST
There was a piece on BBC tv this morning about a "fast growing" website called DogLost.co.uk.
Far from offering to lose a noisy neighbour's dog for you, this site actually helps people to locate their missing pooches. It's all free of charge. List your dog-napped details, or look through the site for a dog you fancy helping to track down, download and print off a poster. You stick that up on a nearby lampost to annoy the hell out of the local council trying their utmost to stop illegal fly-posting (or in this case dog-posting), and hey presto someone spots the dog, or in the case of a spotty dog, spots the spotty dog, and owner and doggie are reunited.
I haven't checked around, but there's probably a site somewhere that helps track down missing kitty's. Personally, I'd have a look down the local Chinese take-away shop first, to see if it's fur isn't in one of their bins, LOL.
To most westerners the thought of cats (or dogs, or lizards, or whatever else could possibly be a family pet) being used as a foodstuff is repulsive. But as westerners I think it hypocritical to judge those people who kill these animals for food, so long as we westerners go on killing pigs, sheep, calves, and cows, for our own foodstuffs.
Check out Google for more discussion on this topic, before coming back at me on this topic.
Far from offering to lose a noisy neighbour's dog for you, this site actually helps people to locate their missing pooches. It's all free of charge. List your dog-napped details, or look through the site for a dog you fancy helping to track down, download and print off a poster. You stick that up on a nearby lampost to annoy the hell out of the local council trying their utmost to stop illegal fly-posting (or in this case dog-posting), and hey presto someone spots the dog, or in the case of a spotty dog, spots the spotty dog, and owner and doggie are reunited.
I haven't checked around, but there's probably a site somewhere that helps track down missing kitty's. Personally, I'd have a look down the local Chinese take-away shop first, to see if it's fur isn't in one of their bins, LOL.
To most westerners the thought of cats (or dogs, or lizards, or whatever else could possibly be a family pet) being used as a foodstuff is repulsive. But as westerners I think it hypocritical to judge those people who kill these animals for food, so long as we westerners go on killing pigs, sheep, calves, and cows, for our own foodstuffs.
Check out Google for more discussion on this topic, before coming back at me on this topic.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Haven. Visit the Haven site
Went to one of Haven's places in Cornwall for a weekend break. Now the weather wasn't their fault (it chucked it down), but the "luxury" accomodation was a disgrace. It stank of dogs, cigarettes, the place was freezing, and I considered the whole place needed reconstructing as it seemed to be made of cardboard! Needless to say, we went back home after just one night.
Read more at www.havenholidays.com/
Monday, January 16, 2006
Pixel Explosion Fizzles Out
After an astonishing turn of events, the last 1000 pixels went for a mere US $38,100.00 on http://milliondollarhomepage.com. This was down to a succession of winning bidders getting cold feet and retracting their bids.
lost.river.trader claimed they Entered wrong amount of $160,009.09
ast1155td ast1155td claimed they Entered wrong amount of $175,000.00
latentauthor Changed User ID says "Seller changed the description of the item" Retracted: US $153,000.00
all4freeuk Changed User ID Cancelled: US $140,200.00 saying it was a fake bid.
onlinepokerandcasinos Retracted: US $2,100,000.99 saying they entered the wrong amount.
And so it goes on... there was even a fake bid of $25,000,000 bid placed by a first time ebay user.
The winner is still the UK whizz kid who had the idea. eBay is a possible loser since the crediblilty of bids placed and then withdrawn makes them look bad.
lost.river.trader claimed they Entered wrong amount of $160,009.09
ast1155td ast1155td claimed they Entered wrong amount of $175,000.00
latentauthor Changed User ID says "Seller changed the description of the item" Retracted: US $153,000.00
all4freeuk Changed User ID Cancelled: US $140,200.00 saying it was a fake bid.
onlinepokerandcasinos Retracted: US $2,100,000.99 saying they entered the wrong amount.
And so it goes on... there was even a fake bid of $25,000,000 bid placed by a first time ebay user.
The winner is still the UK whizz kid who had the idea. eBay is a possible loser since the crediblilty of bids placed and then withdrawn makes them look bad.
Monday, January 09, 2006
The Wonderful World of Pixels
The weekend had me all of a buzz while I caught up with the story of the 21 year old student who is selling one million pixels on his web site for one million dollars. The excitement mounts this week as the final 1000 pixels are to be auctioned on ebay. With over 2 days still to run on this auction the price of those 1000 pixels is US $160,109.09 .
As an ebayer myself, I would expect the final price to be much higher as it is common practice to try to nip in, in the last moments, with a winning bid. There are even programs around that will permit a bidder to bid "just enough" to win.
The student's success has spawned many copycats, some doing well, others floundering. But if the craze continues I might as well try it myself. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
As an ebayer myself, I would expect the final price to be much higher as it is common practice to try to nip in, in the last moments, with a winning bid. There are even programs around that will permit a bidder to bid "just enough" to win.
The student's success has spawned many copycats, some doing well, others floundering. But if the craze continues I might as well try it myself. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Speeding on Britain's Roads
Police in Bedfordshire have been clocking up their own offences for speeding. And the Beds force is the 2nd worse force in the country for being caught on camera.
According to The Highway Code in the UK, "You MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle (see the table below). Street lights usually mean that there is a 30 mph speed limit unless there are signs showing another limit."
So, why is it that when the speed limit is 30mph, that I get a trail of bumper to bumper cars in my rear view mirror, and yet the car nearest to me in front of me, gets further and further away from me? I make an assumption that the ones immediately behind me are cursing me. Well, tough. I didn't make the speed limit. I refer you to a higher authority.
Last summer I had some amusement. In a 30mph limit, the driver behind me was harassing me by driving too close, and a white van driver behind him was clearly harassing the driver behind me. A car ahead had pulled slightly out of a petrol station. I had no option but to stop to let him out. I stopped. The driver behind me stopped. And white van (man?) went into the back of the car. I saw it all in my rear view mirror. For most of the rest of my journey along that 30mph road I was not hotly being pursued by fustrated motorists.
And why is it that people in towns seem to think that just because they are on a dual carriageway, they are allowed to drive any faster than 30mph? Take A505 road through Luton town centre. Classic. Even speed camera signs have little effect. The Highway Code is quite clear. It states, "The 30 mph limit applies to all traffic on all roads in England and Wales (only Class C and unclassified roads in Scotland) with street lighting unless signs show otherwise)". So there you are. If there are no speed signs, the speed limit is thirty. Three zero. Nothing higher.
Now, let's look at motorways. A work colleague, who I would otherwise have thought to have high moral standards, told me "I never drive over 85 on the motorway". He quickly went down in my esteem. The highway code tells us that the maximum speed for Cars and motorcycles is 70mph. I have NEVER EVER made a journey on a motorway without being overtaken. I frequently cruise at 70mph. So, how come I am constantly being overtaken, no matter how short a journey I make on a motorway?
Now let's look at Cars towing caravans or trailers. On a motorway the speed limit for them is sixty. six zero. Now try telling me you have never seen a car towing a caravan doing more than 60. They are mostly hacking along at speeds well in excess of that.
I am not without serious accident. Almost stationery I had inexplicably not seen an oncoming vehicle, when I was turning right off a trunk road. For my sin I had to take a re-education course or face penalty points and a fine. Not once did the Advanced Driving Instructor, on the road with three of us sinners on board, admonish the other sinners for breaking the speed limit. One did 50 through a coned area with speed signs of 30, the other did 45 in a 30 limit. Not once did the Advanced Driving Instructor mention these offences to his pupils. And once, the Advanced Driving Instructor himself, entered into a 30mph zone at 50mph, and took several hundred yards to slow himself down to stop at a roundabout ahead. He boasted that he instructed police. It was left to me to bring the matter up afterwards.
It does not, therefore, surprise me to learn that police on duty were caught in speed traps in Bedfordshire 2,519 times in a year (Luton Herald&Post 29 Dec 2005).
What does apall me is that in 2004, according to the newspaper report, of 46 police officers and staff sent notices of intended prosecution, only nine resulted in punishment.
According to The Highway Code in the UK, "You MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle (see the table below). Street lights usually mean that there is a 30 mph speed limit unless there are signs showing another limit."
So, why is it that when the speed limit is 30mph, that I get a trail of bumper to bumper cars in my rear view mirror, and yet the car nearest to me in front of me, gets further and further away from me? I make an assumption that the ones immediately behind me are cursing me. Well, tough. I didn't make the speed limit. I refer you to a higher authority.
Last summer I had some amusement. In a 30mph limit, the driver behind me was harassing me by driving too close, and a white van driver behind him was clearly harassing the driver behind me. A car ahead had pulled slightly out of a petrol station. I had no option but to stop to let him out. I stopped. The driver behind me stopped. And white van (man?) went into the back of the car. I saw it all in my rear view mirror. For most of the rest of my journey along that 30mph road I was not hotly being pursued by fustrated motorists.
And why is it that people in towns seem to think that just because they are on a dual carriageway, they are allowed to drive any faster than 30mph? Take A505 road through Luton town centre. Classic. Even speed camera signs have little effect. The Highway Code is quite clear. It states, "The 30 mph limit applies to all traffic on all roads in England and Wales (only Class C and unclassified roads in Scotland) with street lighting unless signs show otherwise)". So there you are. If there are no speed signs, the speed limit is thirty. Three zero. Nothing higher.
Now, let's look at motorways. A work colleague, who I would otherwise have thought to have high moral standards, told me "I never drive over 85 on the motorway". He quickly went down in my esteem. The highway code tells us that the maximum speed for Cars and motorcycles is 70mph. I have NEVER EVER made a journey on a motorway without being overtaken. I frequently cruise at 70mph. So, how come I am constantly being overtaken, no matter how short a journey I make on a motorway?
Now let's look at Cars towing caravans or trailers. On a motorway the speed limit for them is sixty. six zero. Now try telling me you have never seen a car towing a caravan doing more than 60. They are mostly hacking along at speeds well in excess of that.
I am not without serious accident. Almost stationery I had inexplicably not seen an oncoming vehicle, when I was turning right off a trunk road. For my sin I had to take a re-education course or face penalty points and a fine. Not once did the Advanced Driving Instructor, on the road with three of us sinners on board, admonish the other sinners for breaking the speed limit. One did 50 through a coned area with speed signs of 30, the other did 45 in a 30 limit. Not once did the Advanced Driving Instructor mention these offences to his pupils. And once, the Advanced Driving Instructor himself, entered into a 30mph zone at 50mph, and took several hundred yards to slow himself down to stop at a roundabout ahead. He boasted that he instructed police. It was left to me to bring the matter up afterwards.
It does not, therefore, surprise me to learn that police on duty were caught in speed traps in Bedfordshire 2,519 times in a year (Luton Herald&Post 29 Dec 2005).
What does apall me is that in 2004, according to the newspaper report, of 46 police officers and staff sent notices of intended prosecution, only nine resulted in punishment.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
First Entry - Buncefield Oil Depot Explosion
The recent explosion at the Buncefield depot in Hemel Hempstead came as quite a shock to me. I live close by and travel around the adjacent lanes at least twice a week. I travelled along the lane between the oil depot and the industrial estate 18 hours before the explosion, and my children were with me. The devastion to nearby buildings is quite scary. I once worked in one of the nearby buildings now destroyed, and
I join with all those who are thankful the incident occurred at a time when very few people were working in the area.
I have read that for an explosion to occur - that was alledgedly heard 100 miles away ; registered 2.4 on the Richter scale. - something very unusual must have occurred. Petrol does not just explode. This is a finished product, not a refinery where complex oil cracking procedures are in place. Ignite, yes. Exploding is different. I read that the oil storage tanks have floating roofs and maybe the system failed somehow, causing a build up of a vapour cloud. Certainly the Fuji Film security guard had said that just prior to explosion he was looking for the source of a fumes he could smell.
I feel sorry for the tanker driver who thinks that turning an ignition key off caused the spark. The incident occurred at just after 6a.m. - that's the time central heating comes on in many homes, so maybe a gas boiler firing up in one of the nearby homes was the trigger?
The oil depot was located where it is because that is where a buried supply pipe comes in. The depot was there long before the nearest industrial buildings were proposed and built. People will not tolerate the possibility of a repeat incident. A new site has to found, and not too far away. Petrol tankers are currently been diverted in from Birmingham, Northampton, and even Hull to fill the void that the out of action depot in Hemel Hempstead has caused. As I write there are shortages of some grades at petrol stations in the Hemel Hempstead area. Transporting this fuel by road for longer distances must be costing the companies a small fortune. And it is also an extra risk that it is being transported by road.
So, in my view, a new site somewhere along the route of the pipeline has to be found. To continue at Buncefield would be too scary for local people, whatever new failsafe devices are dreamt up to prevent a reoccurence. The authorities need to get a new site and not waste time thinking about how they would make Buncefield any safer. It needs to be sited perhaps a mile from other buildings, and preferably well shielded by natural formations (or even unnatural formations). On a global scale, all oil depots will have to be reconsidered for siting, in much the same way that an aircraft accident investigation would recommend for their whole industry.
Pictures:
My Own Pictures
Herts Police. (You can also change the URL slightly to view 2_big.jpg through to 17_big.jpg)
cctv footage of the oil depot explosion. From the Telegraph.
More Pictures Here
Business Affected
Northgate Information Solutions - building wrecked. Hosted several websites
FUJIFILM Electronic Imaging Ltd - building wrecked
Supplies electronic pre-press equipment and software open imaging systems.
www.ffei.co.uk/
3COM
buncefiled buncfield heml fire expolsion oil deopt
Jobs threatened
I join with all those who are thankful the incident occurred at a time when very few people were working in the area.
I have read that for an explosion to occur - that was alledgedly heard 100 miles away ; registered 2.4 on the Richter scale. - something very unusual must have occurred. Petrol does not just explode. This is a finished product, not a refinery where complex oil cracking procedures are in place. Ignite, yes. Exploding is different. I read that the oil storage tanks have floating roofs and maybe the system failed somehow, causing a build up of a vapour cloud. Certainly the Fuji Film security guard had said that just prior to explosion he was looking for the source of a fumes he could smell.
I feel sorry for the tanker driver who thinks that turning an ignition key off caused the spark. The incident occurred at just after 6a.m. - that's the time central heating comes on in many homes, so maybe a gas boiler firing up in one of the nearby homes was the trigger?
The oil depot was located where it is because that is where a buried supply pipe comes in. The depot was there long before the nearest industrial buildings were proposed and built. People will not tolerate the possibility of a repeat incident. A new site has to found, and not too far away. Petrol tankers are currently been diverted in from Birmingham, Northampton, and even Hull to fill the void that the out of action depot in Hemel Hempstead has caused. As I write there are shortages of some grades at petrol stations in the Hemel Hempstead area. Transporting this fuel by road for longer distances must be costing the companies a small fortune. And it is also an extra risk that it is being transported by road.
So, in my view, a new site somewhere along the route of the pipeline has to be found. To continue at Buncefield would be too scary for local people, whatever new failsafe devices are dreamt up to prevent a reoccurence. The authorities need to get a new site and not waste time thinking about how they would make Buncefield any safer. It needs to be sited perhaps a mile from other buildings, and preferably well shielded by natural formations (or even unnatural formations). On a global scale, all oil depots will have to be reconsidered for siting, in much the same way that an aircraft accident investigation would recommend for their whole industry.
Pictures:
My Own Pictures
Herts Police. (You can also change the URL slightly to view 2_big.jpg through to 17_big.jpg)
cctv footage of the oil depot explosion. From the Telegraph.
More Pictures Here
Business Affected
Northgate Information Solutions - building wrecked. Hosted several websites
FUJIFILM Electronic Imaging Ltd - building wrecked
Supplies electronic pre-press equipment and software open imaging systems.
www.ffei.co.uk/
3COM
buncefiled buncfield heml fire expolsion oil deopt
Jobs threatened
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